This meeting was scheduled to include a report on The Livesey Trust, which owns the Livesey Building. The report pack also includes the minutes of the previous meeting.

The Livesey Trust Annual Report 2023-24

This report was prepared for the meeting by Eva Gomez, the Head of Culture at Southwark Council, for the committee to consider. The report includes the annual report of Treasure House (London) CIC, the current tenants of the Livesey Building.

The Livesey Trust

The Livesey Trust owns the freehold of the Grade II listed Livesey Building on Old Kent Road. The building was bequeathed to the local authority by the philanthropist George Livesey in 1890 for use as a free public library. The report describes the history of the trust and explains that the council is the sole trustee of the charity. It explains that:

The administration of the trust is an executive function.

It confirms that the only asset the trust owns is the Livesey Building, and that its only income is the peppercorn rent paid by Treasure House.

Treasure House

The report describes Treasure House (London) CIC as

a specialist education provider who works with young people with anxiety and other emotional barriers, autism, dyslexia and school phobia.

It explains that Treasure House leases the building from the council for a peppercorn rent. It also says that:

The tenant is responsible for the internal and external repairs and the Council as Trustee of the Livesey Trust, will insure the property and charge the tenant an appropriate premium.

The report then lists the work Treasure House has done during the year, including:

• The number of students they taught
• The qualifications their students obtained
• The improvements they made to the building
• The heritage artefacts they are maintaining

Heritage Assets

The report describes the heritage assets in the rear garden of the Livesey Building. These include:

• A Grade II Listed statue of George Livesey
• A victorian post box
• The Newington Tollgate
• A plaque commemorating the opening of the building
• The foundation stone of Grange Road public baths and wash house
• Two mosaic panels from the Old Kent Road Library
• A cattle trough from Old Kent Road
• A cannon bollard

It notes that Treasure House has been:

given permission to complete [the refurbishment of the post box], as their staff have some expertise in metal repair and they are keen to take on as a project for skill sharing with students.

It also says that Treasure House:

hope to complete [the repointing of the mosaics] by Summer 2025.

Lease Extension

The report notes that:

The tenant has requested the landlord enter into discussions about extending the lease term to improve their position for applying for capital grants (expiry Dec. 2029).

Finances

The report notes that the lease requires Treasure House to pay the insurance for the building. It says that there are no financial implications for the council.

Supplementary Advice

The report includes supplementary advice from officers. This advice focuses on the council's responsibilities as trustee of the charity, noting that:

This means that the council (acting through the Livesey Trust Committee) is required to give consideration to the operation of the Trust solely in its role as corporate trustee and in accordance with the object and interests of the Trust.

It also explains that:

As corporate trustee the council, in accordance with common law, has an overriding duty to promote the charitable purposes of the charity.

Recommendation

The report recommends that:

That the Cabinet (Livesey Trust) Committee notes The Livesey Trust, Annual Report 2023-24.

Minutes

The meeting was also scheduled to confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 5 December 2023.